Elmo puppeteer embroiled in underage sex scandal

Elmo's voice denies gay sex with minor

Elmo puppeteer Kevin Clash admits the gay relationship, but says it was between "consenting adults." He has taken a leave of absence in wake of the accusations.

Kevin Clash, the disconcertingly statuesque fella who provides the voice of Sesame Street's toddler-friendly character Elmo, has been accused of carrying on a sexual relationship with a 16-year-old boy and has taken a leave of absence from his puppeteering duties.

As TMZ reports, "Sesame Workshop lawyers recently met with a 23-year-old man who claims he and Clash began a sexual relationship seven years ago... when he was 16 and Clash was 45. Clash has acknowledged to TMZ he had a relationship with the young man — but insists it only took place AFTER the accuser was an adult."

Sesame Workshop lawyers, heh heh. That's gotta look great on a business card. Anyhoo, the scandal apparently revved up in June of this year, according to TMZ, when the young man in question emailed Sesame Workshop honchos to accuse Clash.

Said honchos emailed and met with the accuser, who was apparently dissatisfied with the results, because he then engaged the legal firm Andreozzi and Associates, "the firm that represented one of the victims in the Jerry Sandusky child rape case," TMZ tell us.

Sesame Workshop told TMZ that their internal inquiries concluded the accusations were fraudulent, though Clash was disciplined for using company email in an "inappropriate" manner. A statement issued Monday said that Clash used "poor judgment."